NATCHEZ, Miss. – September 29, 2022 – The City of Natchez will host a special dignitary on Saturday, October 8: The Honorable Philippe Etienne, Ambassador of France!
Meeting in Saint Louis September 14 at the MS River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) Fall Meeting, Mayor Dan M. Gibson of Natchez publicly invited Ambassador Etienne to visit Natchez, the oldest city on the Mississippi River, founded by the French in 1716, and the Ambassador accepted.
“I never anticipated that his visit would happen so soon,” said Mayor Gibson, “Here we are literally two weeks after inviting him and now he’s coming. We are elated.”
Ambassador Etienne and his party are expected to arrive mid-morning and enjoy a tour of Natchez hosted by the Mayor, to include lunch and a visit to the Natchez National Historic Park at Fort Rosalie, a commanding site on the river and home to the remains of the 1716 fort established by the French over 300 years ago.
“We are also looking forward to taking the Ambassador to the ‘Blues and Soul Superbowl’ concert on our historic bluff Saturday night,” Gibson continued. “We can’t wait to introduce him to the Queen of our Hearts, Ms. Patti La Belle!”
Also on the schedule are meetings to discuss development of French heritage sites, to include Fort Rosalie, cultural arts exchange possibilities between Natchez and France, and observance of the significance of the Natchez Indians, the first inhabitants of Natchez. More details will be released as the visit draws closer. ” I am delighted to visit the beautiful city of Natchez, that was founded by the French more than 300 years ago. I am looking forward to touring Fort Rosalie and discovering the Southern hospitality. I would also like to take advantage of this visit to recognize the importance of the Natchez Indians, the first inhabitants of Natchez.”, said Ambassador Etienne.
Who: Ambassador Philippe Etienne
What: Visits Natchez on October 8
When: Mid-Morning throughout the day, CST
Where: Fort Rosalie, Natchez Bluff. Other locations to be announced immediately prior to the visit
Details: A visit by the French Ambassador to the oldest city on the Mississippi River and the oldest French Settlement, founded in 1716.
Press Opportunity: Photo opportunities will occur throughout the day and evening. Please contact Dustin Hinkle (see below) for more details.
For more information about Natchez, visit https://bit.ly/3vv8Qez.
About Natchez
Natchez, Mississippi, founded by the French in 1716, is the oldest city on the Mississippi River, commanding majestic river views from the river’s highest bluffs. Located 80 miles north of Baton Rouge, LA and 90 miles south of Jackson, MS at the terminus of the beautiful Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez has grown to be one of the country’s most sought-after cultural tourism destinations. Attracting over 670,000 visitors annually from around the world, Natchez is known for its culture and history and is home to more historic structures than any other city of its size in the United States. It is also the “Bed and Breakfast Capital of the South”, “The Biscuit Capital of the World”, and has been cited on many national rankings recently as one of America’s top tour destinations and best historic small towns. Natchez is quickly becoming known also as “The Hollywood of the South” with many movies being filmed in its dramatic locales, and historic growth is currently taking place in this “Jewel of the Mississippi”. For more information about Natchez, visit www.visitnatchez.org or call 800-647-6724.
About Ambassador Etienne
Philippe Etienne is the Ambassador of France to the United States. He previously held numerous posts within the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, notably including Ambassador of France to Romania (2002-2005), Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (2007-2009), Permanent Representative of France to the European Union (2009-2014), Ambassador of France to Germany (2014-2017) and most recently, Diplomatic Adviser to the President (2017-2019). Philippe Etienne is an expert on the European Union and continental Europe. He has held posts in Moscow, Belgrade, Bucharest, Bonn, Berlin and Brussels. He has also served as an adviser in the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on several occasions. A graduate of the École Normale Supérieure and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (“Voltaire” Class, 1980), Philippe Etienne also holds the Agrégation (teaching diploma) in Mathematics, has a degree in Economics and is a graduate of the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (Serbo-Croatian). He speaks English, German, Spanish, Russian and Romanian. He is an Officer of the Legion of Honor and a Commander of the National Order of Merit. For more information visit https://franceintheus.org/spip.php?rubrique95.
Comments